Eddie & JoBo Exit B96

November 21, 2008 at 1:57 PM (PT)

Shocker! ALL ACCESS has confirmed that longtime CBS Top 40/Rhythmic WBBM-F (B96)/CHICAGO morning duo EDDIE & JOBO are out, as well as co-host ERICA COBB.

B96 PD TODD CAVANAH told ALL ACCESS, "We celebrate EDDIE & JOBO's nearly two decades of great entertainment and service. We will miss them and it's time for B96 to move in a new direction. We are looking at several options and hope to have something to announce sooner than later."

CAVANAH added that he's still accepting packages at cavanat@wbbm-fm.com, and that mornings will be filled on an interim basis by middayer J NIICE thru end of the year, and that weekender REBECCA ORTIZ would handle middays temporarily.

WKSC Offers Eddie & JoBo Chance To Say Goodbye

Crosstown CLEAR CHANNEL Top 40 WKSC PD RICK VAUGHN called ALL ACCESS to say, "I am offering our airwaves for EDDIE & JOBO to say goodbye. They have been here for 20 years and and were not allowed this opportunity, and we just happen to have a really big transmitter."

VAUGHN is in the process of formerly extending EDDIE & JOBO the invite.

Radiocrunch Chicago Analysis

RADIOCRUNCH/MUSICRUNCH principals ANTHONY ACAMPORA and KEVIN McCABE have been monitoring ratings and music trends in PPM markets. They have been watching the shift in CHICAGO and shared some data with us:

EDDIE & JOBO ranked 11th adults 18-34 in the OCTOBER monthly, while DREX, who does AM drive at CLEAR CHANNEL Top 40 rival WKSC (103.5 KISS-FM) came in 3rd. With women 18-34, KISS was 3rd and B96 9th - but KISS dominated in share.

ACAMPORA commented, "Using MEDIABASE airplay data, our analysis shows B96 now playing 19 of the top 25 songs on the Top 40 chart versus only 15 on the Rhythmic chart. Meanwhile, KISS is now playing 18 of the top 25 on the rhythmic chart versus 15 on the Top 40 chart. New on the B96 playlist this week is JASON MRAZ/I'm Yours - a song KISS isn't playing. This might be the closest B96 has been to a true Top 40 station in 20 years - and maybe more mainstream than KISS at this moment."

McCABE noted, "PPM is envoking change at heritage stations in America's biggest markets. This is an example of a market that has recently gone current with the meter and we're watching stations shift. While this isn't a sudden change for B96, it's one that has been going on for a while. Where two years ago, the line between Rhythmic and Urban was blurry, we're now seeing Top 40 and Rhythmic become very close - especially in these larger markets."